Hello, hello! How is everyone doing? January is chugging along and it seems like nothing is getting done even though I know we’ve been doing things. Our things have mostly been stuff for the neighbor and Dad taking Lady for her grooming (need to find a new one since our usual one sold out) and for her yearly check up (she has some bad teeth, so she has to go in on the 4th to get them removed). Dad’s grumpy because he hasn’t really started a new project yet. And I’m slowly getting back into writing. Nothing regular yet. But I do have two short stories (probably flash pieces but with the potential to be longer if they decide they need more space) that won’t leave me alone. Anyway, it’s a blah day and I’m seriously out of ideas for things to blog about, so I’m just going to ramble about things I’d rather be doing. It seems like I do this a couple of times a year, but no one has complained yet.
1. I’d rather be reading. I need to read a few chapters in a book I picked up for an extra review in February. They’re pretty short. It’s around 20 pages total, so I’ll do that after I finish whining here. But I also just got an ebook copy of HP and the Goblet of Fire from the library, so I want to dive into that for fun. I only have 14 days before I have to return it. I still have all of my hardback HPs, so if I don’t finish in time, I can always ask Dad to pull it out, but ebooks are just easier. All this is to say that I’d much rather be reading HP4 right now.
2. I’d rather be writing. Yes, I know this is technically writing, but I’d rather be working on my Yuki-onna story or my end of the world story. They both have been annoying the crap out of me. Keeping me awake at night. One is ready to be written. The bones are all there, it’s the flesh that needs some time to grow. That usually happens as I’m working with it on the page. But the other still needs to incubate a bit. The beginning is there, but I’m only just beginning to see the end and have no idea how to get there yet. In other words, it’s missing a spine. Sometimes, when a story is being difficult, I need to get the beginning on the page and the middle will grow more easily from there. That’s what I should be doing right now.
New Tricks
3. I’d rather be watching TV with Dad. I’ll be honest, if I weren’t writing this, I’d most likely be watching TV with Dad. We’d catch up on a couple of things that aired in the last couple of days, then watch a couple of episodes of our latest British mystery obsession, New Tricks. We’re running out of episodes though. I guess we need to start looking for other ones to watch. But that’s what I would actually be doing.
I think I’ll stop there and go do the reading I need to do, then probably eat and watch TV. What would you rather be doing right now? Or are you doing exactly what you want? As always, feel free to share your thoughts or comments or your own lists here or on my social media pages!
Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing at the moment? As I’m writing this (the 12th), it’s my birthday. All I really want to do is watch The Untamed or some anime and maybe read some manhwa or manga, but it’s only my second blog post of the year, so I can’t justify taking the day off. Instead, I’m listening to the Japanese music playlist Spotify created for me for today and trying to think of something worth rambling about. I know I did it last year, but I think I’m just going to make a list of random facts about me. I’m 35, so that seems like a good number. I’ll try not to overlap with previous posts too much, but if you’ve been paying attention, you probably know most of these things anyway.
Who doesn’t need a little Deadpool on their birthday?
1. I’m far too lazy to go back and read previous posts to see if I’m repeating myself. If you stalk me enough to remember everything I’ve written in this blog, cheers to you and sorry for the repeats. If you’re new to stalking me, this is pretty much everything you need to know.
2. I’ve probably said it before, but I’m currently diagnosed with Ullrich Congenital Muscular Dystrophy (UCMD). It’s one of the rarer Muscular Dystrophies, so I don’t really talk about it in specific terms. No one knows what it is anyway.
3. UCMD is my fourth diagnosis, but I’ve been assured it’s the correct one. First, it was floppy baby syndrome, then congenital myopathy, then for about 18/19 years it was Spinal Muscular Atrophy type 2. A few years after they discovered UCMD, my pediatric neurologist asked if I would be willing to get tested for it. Surprise! For the last 11 or 12 years, that’s been what is supposedly wrong with me.
4. I enjoy listening to music in languages I don’t speak just to hear the rhythm of the words. When I listen to English music that way, people still expect me to know what a song is about. Like, sorry. I know every single word, but I’ve never actually paid attention to what was being said. I’m weird.
5. I like screamers and growlers (musicians, you pervert). I don’t have to know what they’re saying as long as I can rage vicariously through them.
6. I’m currently obsessed with the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack for some strange reason. It will pass.
7. I haven’t worn shoes (except fluffy slippers) since July. Haven’t had to go anywhere, so what’s the point? Thank you, Covid!
8. Despite the lack of shoes, I wear pants and a clean shirt every day. The plague won’t change that.
9. People are idiots. I know this. There’s nothing I can do or say to change this. That’s why I tend not to address all of the idiocy going on right now, especially on social media (I have no desire to feed the trolls). It’s not that I don’t care. I just don’t want to waste my emotional energy getting riled up about things we all knew would happen eventually. Because people are assholes. Sure, the majority of people are fine. But those extreme dickwads (on both sides) are the reason the rest of us can’t have nice things.
10. I do occasionally post political crap when I’m extremely bored and want to watch people argue, but it’s never serious stuff.
11. Even though I haven’t finished a single crochet pattern, I keep stocking up on free ones so I have stuff to make when I decide to stop procrastinating.
12. Stalking artists is one of my favorite pastimes lately.
13. I love it when people draw pretty things for me.
Jenae Barton drew us together. ❤
14. Norse mythology is currently my favorite and I love reading about the weird crap those gods got up to, like when Loki tied one end of a rope around his testicles and the other around a goat’s beard, then proceeded to play a kind of tug-of-war in order to make Skadi laugh. Those people were strange.
15. I had no idea what the random deluge of Twisted Tea memes were about until a couple of days ago.
16. I’ve never heard WAP and don’t ever plan on listening to it.
17. I’m in the middle of reading a craft book and, despite liking the author, it’s reminding me why I only read them once in a blue moon. It’s a slog and not particularly helpful.
18. Despite the fact that J.K. Rowling has gone kind of nuts, I’m really enjoying reading the Harry Potter series again.
19. I don’t wear jewelry often (aside from a ring I wear every day), but I still buy necklaces and bracelets that I know I’ll only wear once or twice.
20. It is taking me far too long to write this list and it’s just reinforcing the fact that I’m old.
21. I randomly want ice cream, but we have none. Sadness.
22. I don’t remember ever having a brain freeze.
23. I just ordered Thai/Japanese fusion for my birthday dinner (thank you, Dad!). They said they have mochi, so as long as the order shows up right, I’m getting red bean ice cream! Wootwoot!
24. I have a bunch of awesome people who wished me a happy birthday. I’ll respond to each of them, but I’m sorry if it takes a couple of days.
25. While you’re reading this, I’ll either be reading manhwa or watching The Untamed since I didn’t get around to it today. Or I’ll be a good little writer and read some stuff I’m supposed to then write some words. I haven’t decided.
26. I’m terrible at talking about myself and am running out of things to say already. Is it obvious? I feel like it’s obvious.
27. My dog learned quickly that cats are sharp and now boldly barks at the ferals only when they’re no where in sight or she’s safely in the house. I find this hilarious.
28. I hate The Great Gatsby. I know I’m supposed to love it and think all these things about it and what it portrays, but it’s not good. At all. I’ve read it twice in my life and each time I wished I had those hours back.
29. White chocolate KitKats are better than milk chocolate ones.
30. I post little anecdotes that I think are funny and get weirded out when people start commenting supportive and encouraging things. I guess my funny stories are depressing or too dark.
Oh well.
31. An example of the type of anecdotes mentioned above: someone once asked why I write horror and when I told them that when you keep getting told you’re going to die by a young age you turn out a little twisted, they gave me that deer in the headlights look people get when they have no clue how to respond.
32. Dinner was yummy. I had a dancing eel roll and yakisoba, plus a duck bun and some of one of Dad’s dishes. The mochi will be a reward when I finish scheduling this post.
33. I just checked my email and got a great birthday present! Well, great news on my birthday, so I’m claiming it as a present. I’ll make a post about it when everything is official.
34. Apparently I give off a dragon vibe even though I’m obviously an unknowable sea entity. What do you think?
The new stupid fun thing on social media.
35. I’m too old to be making lists like this. It took all afternoon. Maybe I’ll just take my birthday week off from blogging in the future. Or maybe I’m just being lazy.
And I’m done. Thank the gods and goddesses. As usual, feel free to share your thoughts or comments or own lists here or on my social media pages!
Hello, hello! How is everyone doing today? Things are pretty good here. This week, I’m just writing a short post with lots of pictures to brag about Dad. He finished his room! Mostly. He still needs to make a vent cover and nightstands. But it’s looking lovely and ready to show off! As many of you know, pretty much anything with wood in our house was made by Dad. His room is no exception. Most of the wood (cabinets, bed, etc.) is pecan from the Trinity river basin that was super rough. He planed it into usable boards and built/stained/etc. everything. The ceiling has MDF that he painted. He even made the doors. Also, he sewed the curtains himself a while back, but they’ll eventually be replaced by shutters when he makes those. He put up the grasscloth wallpaper and the mural too. Basically, he designed, built, and/or installed everything himself. Just wanted to let you all know how talented he is and show off his room. As always, feel free to comment or ask questions or whatever here or on my social media pages!
Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone today? I’m still being lazy and avoiding productive things by doing other (sometimes) productive things. As I’m writing this, I’m also getting ready to fill out Christmas cards. I know it’s a little late for that, but I originally wasn’t going to do it at all. Then, I was just going to do three for special people. In the end, I made Dad sit and fill out 48 of them with me. Yeah. Since I wrote the first few sentences of this post, I wasted two and half hours getting infested with glitter in the name of not completely failing as a human this year. Go me! But anyway. A couple of days ago, I received a gift from my friend Enza. She got me a Box of Maine! So, I’m going to spend this post rambling about the box and how much I miss Maine. You have been warned.
Not my box. Just an example borrowed from Google.
The box contained two whoopie pies (chocolate and maple), coffee, mustard, clam chowder, a Maine Woods candle, blueberry soap, blueberry pancake mix, popcorn, a Moxie bandana, a little balsam fir pillow, and a decal that says “The Way Life Should Be” followed by “Maine.” I’ve already eaten the maple whoopie pie (yes, I shared it with Dad). Despite some shipping issues, it was still moist and tender and absolutely delicious. I’m looking forward to the regular whoopie pie. I can’t wait to dig into the rest of the stuff. Enza also sent some Moxie too! It’s definitely an acquired taste. I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about it when I first tried it up in Maine, but over the years it’s grown on me.
I love my box, but now I miss Maine. The people were always friendly. I miss lobster rolls and bisque and fried clams and blueberry soda and everything else. I miss the Harraseeket Inn and Broad Arrow Tavern. I even miss the fancy McDonald’s. We never did get the chance to visit the desert of Maine or check out Bangor or do a bunch of other things. I never had the chance to eat fresh strawberries from a roadside stand because Dad ate them all while I was in class (dick move, right? And yes, he’s reading this, so he knows I just called him a dick), then he went on about how they were the best he’s ever eaten. He still talks about them. And, of course, the stand was always closed when we drove by after that. Don’t get me wrong. Maine isn’t perfect. I know. I’m not idealizing it. For one thing, accessibility is horrible up there compared to down here. But I love it, flaws and all.
Maybe one day, if the plague ever ends or the vaccines prove to be effective, we’ll make it back up to Maine. Maybe we’ll be able to spend a month or so up there just exploring and catching up with people from Stonecoast. I’ve been in the house for the better part of a year, so even an introvert like me can dream of getting out and doing things. Until then, at least I have my Box of Maine. Thanks again, Enza!
It’s a McDonald’s!!! So fancy. Right across the street from the Harraseeket Inn.
What about you? Are there any places you’re missing? What do you miss about them? As always, feel free to share your thoughts or comments here or on my social media pages!
Howdy, howdy! I struggled to find something to ramble about today. Writing has been hard, so I’ve been procrastinating by taking on some extra reading (then writing a couple of short blurbs/reviews for Pseudopod). But otherwise, I’ve been blah again. I had a good month of regularly writing, then it went downhill. I’ll get back on track soon. But it leaves me with nothing to blog about either. Luckily, I’ve been listening to Barenaked Ladies the last couple of days and apparently Amazon likes their song “If I had a Million Dollars,” so I thought I’d make a short list of things I’d do with a million dollars. Be aware that these are all separate scenarios because it’s only a million dollars.
1. Save most of it. Let’s be honest… a million dollars won’t get you very far these days. Especially people like me because if I randomly came into any money, I’d lose my benefits (including Medicaid and probably Medicare). That would mean a bunch of things would go wrong and that million dollars would disappear pretty fast just to cover living and medical stuff. But this is a fantasy, so in my pretend world, I’d get save most of it and let it slowly collect interest and all of that because I like seeing money in my accounts. Or I would like it if I had any money.
2. Pay stuff off. Jeez, my fantasy worlds are so boring. But yeah, I’d pay off the vehicles that we still owe money on. I’d also pay for all the stuff Dad needs in order to finish his projects around the house. And then I’d save whatever was left because that’s just how I am.
I’m usually the friend in this scenario.
3. Buy a fancy cripple friendly RV. Aside from the fact that having our own portable hotel room would make traveling easier, they look pretty. And of course if we had an RV, we’d have to take a road trip out west. There’s always more of Canada to explore too. As well as the rest of Texas. Then we could always go back east. Not sure when the money would run out, but I’d still put some away before we started our trip(s).
4. Go back to school. Not sure if I would just go for some kind of PhD (what useful degrees can you get with a background in English that won’t lead to teaching?) or if I’d start all over with something in physics. It could be fun either way.
5. Stop feeling guilty about buying myself little things. That’s the biggest fantasy of all. Even if I were rich, I still think I would hesitate when buying things just because I want them. It’s weird. I had a hard time ordering a bracelet I wanted recently. Why? Because I’ve done nothing to deserve the splurge and we’re in the middle of a pandemic, so it’s not like I’ll have anywhere to wear it. I ordered it anyway, though. Maybe if I had money, I’d stop thinking that way, but I doubt it.
That’s my boring list of things I’d potentially do with a million dollars. As always, feel free to share your thoughts or comments or lists here or on my social media pages!
Hello, hello! I have nothing worth rambling about, so I thought I would just do one of those random “about me” questionnaires that spontaneously float around social media. Yes, I know all the warnings about people using these things to guess at your passwords and security questions, but I don’t care. None of these answers have anything to do with my passwords/security questions. Don’t waste your time. And if you do waste your time with it, well… I told you so. But seriously, I’m bored and enjoy filling these things out.
Since I probably won’t put any other images in this post, here’s a picture of me with a tail in my face after the doggo’s last grooming a couple of weeks ago.
1. Were you named after anyone? Sean Connery (RIP) and Nichelle Nichols.
2. When was the last time you cried? I’m not entirely sure. Probably the last time someone made me want to punch them in the throat. I’m an angry crier. Leave me alone.
3. Do you like your handwriting? It’s legible. That’s all that matters. If I can easily reach the page and write at a proper angle, my writing is nice enough. If I have to write upside down or sideways, it’s crap but you can still read it.
4. What is your favourite lunch meat? I don’t really have a favorite. If you mean the super processed stuff, we don’t eat that very often anyway. But I just like meat, so I wouldn’t have a favorite anyway.
5. Do you have kids? Nope. I’ll just borrow some if I want the experience, that way I can give them back to their parents when I’m tired of them.
6. If you were another person, would you be friends with you? Probably not. I’m kind of a dick. >__>
7. Do you use sarcasm a lot? I don’t use sarcasm. I’m sarcasm incarnate.
8. Do you still have your tonsils? Yup.
9. Would you bungee jump? No, not even if I could. Being a human yoyo doesn’t appeal to me.
10. What is your favourite cereal? I don’t eat cereal, but I used to like Rice Chex. I guess I still do when it’s mixed with stuff and drizzled with chocolate. Oh, and I like rice krispie treats. Does that count?
11. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? Depends on the shoe. My Converse, yes. My boots, no because they also have zippers.
12. Do you think you are strong? Physically? Nope. Emotionally? I have super strong and unhealthy coping mechanisms, so probably not.
13. What is your favourite ice cream? Coffee? Cookies and cream? Both? Both. Both is good. Preferably mixed together.
14. What is the first thing you notice about people? It really depends on whether they’re facing me or not and whether they’re sitting or standing. I should probably say something stupid and mysterious like their aura or vibe, but honestly… usually the ass. I’m at the perfect height for it. If they’re sitting, then probably their hair.
15. Red or pink? Red. Dark red.
16. What is your least favourite thing about yourself? Aside from everything? Uh… I guess that I don’t keep up with people even though I know I should. I’ve said it before. I’m a shit friend.
17. Who do you miss the most? No one I’m willing to talk about.
18. What is your favourite tea? Does boba count? I like tea, but I don’t drink it enough to have a favorite.
19. What colour shoes are you wearing? Invisible? I’m not wearing any.
20. What was the last thing you ate? Nuggets (catfish) and shrimp with a side of fried pickles. Mmm… be jealous. It’s okay.
21. What are you listening to right now? The whoosh of my ventilator because I didn’t think to turn on the radio when I started working on this post.
22. If you were a crayon, what colour would you be? Probably one of the glittery ones. I’m partial to the purples, but anything is fine as long as it’s sparkly.
24. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? I don’t talk on the phone unless I absolutely have to, so probably Dad.
25. Mountain hideaway or beach house? Beach. Ocean view, please.
26. Favourite sports to watch? Sports are not my thing. Baseball is okay if I’m actually at the game. Is skateboarding still a thing? I don’t mind watching that. Dancing is okay too.
27. Hair colour? Somewhere between blonde and brown, I guess.
28. Eye colour? Blue.
29. Do you wear contacts? Nope. I don’t like being touched at the best of times. You really think I want someone jabbing their fingers in my eyes?
30. Favourite food? Food in general. I just like to eat.
31. Scary movies or happy endings? I don’t watch enough movies to have a strong preference either way, but I guess happy. I like my horror in book form.
32. Last movie you watched? No idea. Troop Zero? I don’t remember any movies since then.
33. What colour shirt are you wearing? Black with a red Oz logo. A Japanese band that’s no longer around.
34. Summer or winter? Summer. Bring on the heat!
35. Hugs or kisses? Like the candy? I’m on team Hugs. The actions? Please don’t.
36. Favourite dessert? Creme brulee!
37. Strength training or cardio? Cripple privilege allows me to not exercise and no one says anything about it.
38. Computer or television? Computer. Always.
39. What book are you reading right now? Open for Murder by Mary Angela for this month’s review post and HP and the Chamber of Secrets for fun.
40. What is on your mouse pad? I don’t have one.
41. Any tattoos? Not yet. But I want one.
42. Favourite sound? I’ve never thought about this. Water sounds, I guess.
43. Rolling Stones or Beatles? Beatles.
44. What is the farthest you’ve been from home? Out of the places I remember, Wiscasset in Maine is around 1,900 miles from us, but so is Quebec, so one of those two places.
45. Do you have a special talent? I can turn pretty much anything into something perverted, but otherwise no.
46. Where were you born? A hospital.
47. Where are you living now? The same place I have always lived.
48. What colour is your house? If you had stalked me properly, you would know the answer to this question. Step your game up.
49. What colour is your car? I don’t have a car.
50. Any pets? A dog and a bunch of fish.
As always, feel free to share your thoughts and comments here or on my social media pages!
Howdy, howdy! It’s Tuesday November 3rd as I’m writing this and I have no idea how all of the election crap is going. I don’t particularly care either. We’re all screwed for the next four years no matter who gets in, so why waste time worrying? As you’re reading this, it’s the 4th or later, so you probably already know who won. If it was the ancient white dude you were rooting for, congrats! If it was the other ancient white dude, better luck next time. But as with all election years, I’ve spent my day avoiding politics as much as possible. Here’s how I did it this time.
AKA Americans insisting on voting Dem or Rep instead of voting for someone who might actually do things to benefit everyone.
1. I helped Dad uninstall a switch from SmartThings and connect the new switch when he got it in. He’s finally remodeling his room and my job in the process is to figure out the smart home aspects. I’ll post pictures of the room when he’s done, but it’s coming along nicely if I do say so myself.
2. I read some manhwa (Korean graphic novels/webtoons). Okay, so I was actually procrastinating on writing this post, but it also kept me away from election stuff too. No one wants to know what kind of BL (if you know what that is and want to squee over it with me, message me on one of my social media pages) I was reading, but a few of my favorites had updates, so it kept me amused for half an hour.
Shakespeare and Hathaway.
3. I watched BritBox with Dad. During breakfast/lunch (same meal), we watched an episode of Shakespeare and Hathaway. It’s a fun show and you should be watching it. For dinner, we’ll probably watch an episode of the Inspector Lynley Mysteries. It’s an okay show, but there are better mysteries out there. They keep changing his wife (not the character, just the actress), which is distracting. We’ll probably watch some stuff on Hulu too.
4. I scrolled through Facebook. Yes, I saw a bunch of people freaking out about election day stress, but I only stopped scrolling for cute memes and pictures of pretty people. I also made sure to stop before the main media coverage of the day started, so I could avoid all of the madness. I’ll scroll through it after a decision is made.
Terrifying.
5. I read and wrote this post and did some other things I needed to do. In other words, I adulted. This is not something I recommend, but it’s necessary and better than watching election crap.
I have no idea who’s ahead in the polls as I’m writing this. I’ll find out who wins later. For now, I’m going to go relax and avoid everything. If you avidly kept track of everything, I hope you didn’t stress yourself too much. If you just bided your time until everything was over, feel free to share what you got up to here or on my social media pages! I need new ideas for how to avoid the next election.
Hello, hello! How is everyone doing this lovely October day? It’s that scary time of year where people normally start decorating with spider webs and carved pumpkins in preparation to hand out candy to appease all of the little ghosts and goblins. Unfortunately, Covid is dampening this year’s Halloween spirit, but there are still plenty of ways to celebrate. You can always watch scary or corny movies. You can still decorate to your heart’s content as well. And now is as good a time as any to read (or reread) some scary stories. So, I thought I’d share some of my favorite short stories with you today.
1. “Strawberry Spring” by Stephen King. Of course King would be on my list, so I might as well start there. This particular story is in the collection Night Shift. What’s not to love about a serial killer story? But really, you can’t go wrong with any of King’s short stories.
2. “The Colour Out of Space” by H.P. Lovecraft. This is one of the few stories that kept me up at night and I have no idea why. It’s just one of those creepy stories that gets inside your head. It can be found in a number of Lovecraft collections or you can read it here. And yes, I acknowledge he was a racist. I don’t have to like a person or agree with them to enjoy their work.
3. “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Because who doesn’t love a slow descent into madness? If you’ve taken any college level English courses, you’ve probably read this, but it’s always worth another look. It can be found in a bunch of collections or here on the Project Gutenberg website.
4. “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner. This is another you’ve probably read if you did your English homework, but I still love it. The story of a creepy recluse is always intriguing. You can find it in loads of collections and if you Google it, the whole text usually pops up in at least one public lesson plan.
5. “Berenice” by Edgar Allan Poe. Pretty much any Poe story fits the season, but the one that creeps me out the most is this one. Why? Because teeth freak me out. Of all the things to be obsessed with, I just don’t understand why anyone would fixate on teeth. But I digress. If you have a collection of Poe, it’s probably in there. If not, you can read it here.
6. “Click-Clack the Rattlebag” by Neil Gaiman. This is a weird and cute story that’s pretty predictable, but still fun. It was published in the anthology Impossible Monsters (edited by Kasey Lansdale), but you can listen to Gaiman read it here if you have 10 minutes to spare.
7. “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. It’s not scary like the usual horror story, but it’s terrifying because it’s not a particularly far-fetched idea. This could happen because people suck. It has happened in the past in various ways. It’s basically ritual sacrifice without the whole appeasing a god angle (at least from what I remember). Stuff like this happens and that’s terrifying. You can find this one in a bunch of anthologies and it’s usually around online if you Google it.
I could keep going, but I think I’ll save some for another time. What are some of your favorite scary or creepy short stories? How about corny Halloween short stories? As always, feel free to share your lists or comments or thoughts here or on my social media pages!
Hello, hello! How’s everyone doing today? It’s been a gloomy couple of days, so I’ve just wanted to laze around. You know how it goes. But next week is September’s book review post, then we enter the final quarter of 2020. Can you believe it? Time is racing by, but at the same time it feels like 2020 has been stretching on forever. It’s weird. Anyway, in preparation for the end of the year, I thought I would let you know what my intentions are. I’m not even going to bother calling them goals because that word hasn’t helped me stay on target in a long time. So, here’s a list of the things I hope to accomplish by December 31st.
Basically.
1. Finish the first draft of DS2. I originally wanted to finish this a week or so ago, but the blahs got me and I stopped working on it. I wrote some short stuff in the interim, so I wasn’t completely useless. However, I need to get back to the novel. I’m aiming for 65-75,000 words and already have about 18,000 written, so even if I wait to start on October 1st (I need to reread what I’ve written over the next few days to get back in the voice) I’ll only need to write between 900 and 1,100 on my writing days. I can do it. I plan to do it. We’ll see if it actually happens.
2. Finish the shawl. I’ve been working on this thing on and off since October, so I want to finish it and have Dad weave in the ends and block it, so we can get it sent off. It’s my own fault it’s taking so long. Hopefully since I don’t plan on trying to force out 1,500 words on my writing days, I’ll be able to squeeze in at least half an hour of crocheting on those days as well as more on the days I don’t write. My priority will be the words, but I’m still hoping I can finish both by the end of the year.
Or just buy me yarn. No flattery necessary.
3. Keep querying and submitting. I haven’t missed a week yet, but I’m slowly running out of agents to query until I get rejections from some others (ones in agencies where you’re allowed to query other agents even if you get a no from one of them), I might drop down to two or three a week instead of five. I’m only 25 submissions away from 100, so I’m not worried about cutting back a bit. Then, I can look for publishers if none of the agents bite. I’ll still keep up with my two short story submissions each week too.
4. Read extra books. Once I finish the book I’m currently reading, I’ll have met my 30 books goal for the year, but I’ll still need to read at least two books for November and December’s reviews. I’m also planning to reread HP and the Sorcerer’s Stone and I’m sure I can find a book or two in my Kindle collection of stuff I’ve bought but haven’t read to fill out the rest of the year. Or maybe I’ll just say screw it and read manga instead.
I mean, if I had enough money, I’d be less anxious which would make me happy, but books work too.
I could talk about my intention to try and make new friends, but we all know how bad I am at keeping up with the ones I have, so I probably won’t do anything different. I’m trying. Slowly. But it’s not like it was back in the Yahoo chat days. Back then I’d randomly *glomp* someone and hey presto, new friend! Nowadays, I join a new forum or group and just lurk because I feel like a creeper. So yeah, new friends would be nice but are unlikely because I’m a socially awkward weirdo.
Anyway, that’s what I hope to accomplish by the end of the year. What about you? Anything you want to get done within the next three months? As always, feel free to share your thoughts or comments or whatever here or on my social media pages!
Hello, hello! September is flying by. I can’t believe we’re already a third of the way through it (close enough anyway). I have no idea where the time is going. I’ve mostly been reading. It’s weird. I’ve already read this month’s book for the review and I’m currently working on next month’s book since it’s on the long side. But, since the last time I talked about reading, I’ve also read another book from my “want to read again” list. It’s an old book I read back in elementary school and loved. Well, I picked up the Kindle version via my library’s OverDrive account and apparently they updated the book when it was released as an eBook. Needless to say, I have issues with it.
The cover of the 2012 Kindle version.
Ransom by Lois Duncan is about a group of five kids who live in one of the richer areas of New Mexico getting kidnapped when someone steals their school bus. It’s a story about five completely different people struggling to survive and come to terms not only with what’s happening, but also with each other. Honestly, it’s a little melodramatic and the dialogue is a bit stilted, but it’s a fun read if you come into it with the right mindset.
The book was written in 1966. I read it in the early ’90s. In other words, it was pre-Interwebz and pre-cellphone. That’s what makes the plot believable in the first place. The kidnappers can’t get in touch with one of the families via home phone, which ups the tension. There’s no such thing as email or texts or any of that. People are out of touch with each other for hours on end. Parents can’t track their kids’ phones. No one actually worries until someone isn’t home for dinner. That was the norm back then and it made the story plausible. It made it exciting.
This is how kids used to know it was time to get home, even when I was a kid.
But when I started reading the Kindle version from Open Road Media, I noticed they added things. There were random mentions of cellphones and a lame attempt to explain a daughter writing letters to her dad because he wouldn’t answer her emails. It’s like the editors were trying to make the story more accessible to a modern audience, but all they managed to do was make the story ridiculous. Plus, they didn’t bother updating the speech or coming up with a more modern excuse for the cripple dude. I mean, how many kids have had polio recently? According to the CDC, we haven’t had a case in the U.S. since 1979. In 1966 when the book was published, the idea that an 18-year-old had contracted polio as a child wasn’t far-fetched at all. If you’re going to update a book, at least be consistent. The anachronisms in the version were eye-twitch inducing.
Basically.
In other words, avoid this version of Ransom. Try to find something earlier. I don’t know if other newer versions do the same thing, but if you run across mentions of cellphones or emails in your copy, know that it’s LIES. This is a good book if you can get into the time period. I don’t understand why they felt the need to update it. It wasn’t necessary. It just ticks me off. Anyway, as always, feel free to share your thoughts or comments or similar stories here or on my social media pages!
Shawna's Blog of Doom 